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Jerry Lawler Hospitalized: WWE Needs to Be More Careful with Older Legends

Posted: Sep 11th 2012 By: mikeiles

I am sure you have heard of Jerry "The King" Lawler being hospitalized after being unconscious on Monday Night Raw.

According to WWE.com:

Jerry ?The King? Lawler suffered a heart attack while commentating during last night?s broadcast of Monday Night Raw in Montreal. We are hopeful Jerry makes a full recovery and returns to WWE in the near future. Our thoughts are with Jerry and his family.

While there is no proof that Lawler's heart attack was a direct result of in-ring action, he was actively competing minutes prior to needing medical attention. Since an emergency medical team is present during WWE shows, he was quickly taken to hospital and we were later informed that he was in a responsive state.

At 62, Lawler is a legend who is well past his prime in the ring. He has been a color commentator for the WWE for quite a while, yet is pulled into storylines on a regular basis.

I am a huge fan of the legends of professional wrestling. Every time a Bret Hart or Sgt. Slaughter appears on a show, I feel a surge of emotion and nostalgia. However, every time a legend is put in a match, I just sit there hoping that an injury doesn't occur.

Now, there are scenarios where these legends can showcase a few moves without risking serious injury. The Heath Slater storyline heading into Raw 1000 was a great way to use legends without making them take undue risks.

Jerry Lawler's recent storyline with Punk has been the opposite.

CM Punk is a main-event talent. He is the WWE champion. Putting someone in a lengthy program with him means that the matches have to be longer and involve greater physical interaction than a one-off match lower in the card.

That is not something you want an older person to be involved in. And you definitely don't want to have a steel cage match in such a storyline.

Most professional wrestlers do not age well. The years of physical work, travel, injuries and stress take their toll on the body.

The accumulated side effects of drugs?prescription or otherwise?that have been taken for pain relief, performance enhancement or recreational purposes don't help matters.

As the leader in sports entertainment, WWE should take a firm stance regarding how it uses its legends.

Hopefully Lawler will recover and this incident will serve as a lesson to the people that run the show.

Hopefully we will continue to see legends in the WWE, but they will not be made to take the same risks that the younger superstars do.

I would like to wish "The King" a speedy and complete recovery and hope that the world of professional wrestling takes better precautions when using its legends in the future.

Get well soon, Jerry!